May 5, 2025
By Mateen Ali
LAHORE
Habibullah, a 43 year old coal miner, was killed early Sunday, May 4, after the roof of a mine collapsed on him. The incident occurred in the Duki district of Balochistan, where a large number of mines are concentrated – yet for workers who risk their lives every day, there are little to no safety protocols.
Habibullah, was a native of Qila Saifullah, a small town over a hunded kilometers away from Duki. The mine he was employed at in Duki was Shafiq & Brothers Coal Mines.
When Habibullah lowered himself into the mine that Sunday morning, at around 7:30 AM, he must have been nearly 1,000 feet underground, with three other workers when all of a sudden the mine roof caved in.
Such collapses are not uncommon for mine workers, and the risk is always there. However, the timber support that should have been installed by the mine owners, in order to hold the roof, was not in place. When the roof caved in, Habibullah’s fellow workers managed to retrieve him from underneath the debris and rushed him to Duki Civil Hospital. However he could not be saved and was pronounced dead on arrival at 8:20 AM, with doctors confirming fatal head and chest injuries.
The worker who had travelled from his hometown for work in another area, returned home in a hearse.
Investigation by authorities
While the Mines and Minerals Department of Balochistan has launched an investigation into the incident, it is still unclear whether the responsibility lies with the contractor who was managing the mine, or the workers themselves.
A spokesperson for the department told Voicepk that safety guidelines are regularly issued to mine operators, but are often ignored. In the past 12 months alone, around 35 mines have been shut down due to non-compliance with safety standards.
The spokesperson said that most mining accidents in the province occur due to the presence of poisonous gases especially methane, and carbon monoxide, lack of oxygen, and structural collapses. He noted that miners often work at depths of up to 4,000 feet without proper protective gear, putting their lives at constant risk.
Meanwhile workers face several challenges with regard to their equipment.
Speaking to Voicepk, in an earlier interview a coalminer from a different mine had explained that conditions inside the coalmines are extremely perilous.
“We lose our loved ones to coal mine collapses every other day. The root cause of these accidents is the lack of safety equipment. We work using only cloth caps and small hand-held torches, which are insufficient for our protection,” he had complained, implying that the equipment was not given to them, and that the authorities were responsible for it.
The safety protocols provided to mine operators are based on standards set by theInternational Labour Organisation (ILO). These protocols include the use of appropriate support structures, gas monitoring equipment, and ventilation systems. However, enforcement remains limited and adherence inconsistent.
Miners typically earn between Rs1,800 to Rs2,500 per day, translating to a monthly income of Rs54,000 to Rs75,000. According to department records, 12 mining accidents have been reported in Balochistan between 2023 and 2024. The coal sector in Duki earns around Rs1.5 billion annually, yet workers continue to lack basic safety training and essential protective gear.
HRCP fact finding report
A fact finding report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) revealed that the workers suffer several issues. Coal mines in Balochistan are extremely dangerous workplaces with a high rate of fatal accidents and injuries. This is due to factors like a lack of proper ventilation, the use of substandard materials leading to mine collapses, elevator malfunctions, and the risk of methane gas build-up and explosions.
The report specified that mines often lacked basic safety equipment and modern technology. Miners typically do not use proper safety gear. Warning signal systems and emergency protocols are often non-existent.
There are many reasons why miners do not use this safety gear. Mine owners and contractors often fail to provide adequate or any safety gear to their workers as a cost-cutting measure, and even when provided, the safety equipment might be of poor quality, damaged, ill-fitting, or not suitable for the specific hazards of the mine. Sometimes the equipment is worn-out or damaged and the gear cannot be replaced promptly, forcing miners to work without protection.
Miners, especially migrant workers or those in precarious employment, are often hesitant to demand safety gear or complain about unsafe conditions for fear of losing their jobs. Some miners work on a daily wage basis, and any time spent not extracting coal (e.g., adjusting or wearing gear) might be perceived as a loss of income. Poverty and lack of alternative employment options often forces individuals to accept dangerous working conditions without proper safety measures.
However while there is also lack of awareness on part of the miners, mines, especially deep underground ones, can be extremely hot and humid, and wearing bulky or restrictive safety gear leads to discomfort and leading to fatigue.
Some safety equipment might be perceived as hindering movement and the ability to perform tasks efficiently, especially in confined spaces. Poor ventilation can exacerbate discomfort when wearing respirators or other protective clothing.
There are other issues that workers face too. For example there is a severe shortage of government mine inspectors to oversee the large number of mines in the province, leading to infrequent and ineffective safety inspections. Mining areas often lack functional hospitals, rescue services, and adequate healthcare facilities, resulting in preventable deaths and exacerbating injuries. Injured workers often rely on poorly equipped private clinics with unqualified practitioners.
Miners are highly susceptible to respiratory diseases like asthma, lung cancer, and tuberculosis due to the constant inhalation of coal dust.